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Got burned by a cheap sleeping pad, spend the extra money next time
I bought a no-name inflatable sleeping pad off Amazon for about 25 bucks before a trip to the Smokies last fall. First night was fine, but the second night I woke up on the ground at 2am because it had a slow leak. I spent the rest of the trip sleeping on a folded blanket and my back hated me. Now I'm looking at getting something like a Therm-a-Rest or a Nemo, but those run like 100 to 150 dollars. Is it really worth spending that much more for a pad that won't pop on me? Has anyone else had a cheap pad fail and switch to a pricier brand?
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zarag171mo ago
Oh man, that sucks. I mean I get the instinct to save money but honestly you're probably paying for better materials and a warranty with the bigger brands. If you're gonna be camping more than once a year it's probably worth dropping the extra cash.
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rowanr881mo ago
The Nemo Tensor I bought after my second cheap pad failed has a 3 inch foam baffle inside that spreads the air out evenly. @zarag17 mentioned the warranty thing, and that is huge because Nemo and Therm-a-Rest will replace it if it leaks even years later. The cheap ones use thin plastic that gets pinhole leaks from just folding it up wrong or a little ground debris. Plus the pricier pads have a built in pump sack so you are not getting moisture from your breath inside the pad, which causes mold and more leaks. I sleep way warmer on my Nemo too since the insulation layer actually works. Spend the 130 once instead of buying a 25 dollar replacement every season.
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